Sikhs protest outside Dikshit`s residence

New Delhi: Scores of Sikhs Thursday held a
protest outside Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit`s residence here
protesting Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna`s decision to commute
life sentence of a convict in 1984 anti-Sikh riots which has
been reversed.

The protesters, which included relatives of victims of
the riots, shouted slogans against Khanna and Delhi Government
and demanded that no leniency be showed to Kishori Lal, a
resident of Trilokpuri in East Delhi, who was sentenced to
life imprisonment.

Following opposition from a section of Sikh community,
Khanna yesterday had reversed the decision to commute Lal`s
life sentence and asked Delhi`s `Sentence Review Board` to
give it a relook.

"We have staged the protest outside Dikshit`s residence
as she was also part of the decision making process to commute
life sentence of Lal," said Tawant Singh, general secretary of
Delhi Unit of Shiromoni Akali Dal (Badal).

Khanna now has asked the State Review Board (SRB) to
review Lal`s plea

Lal, a former butcher, had been sentenced to death in at
least five cases by the lower courts for stabbing to death
several people during the riots. The Supreme Court, later,
commuted them to life terms.

The Tihar jail authorities had recommended to SRB to
commute life sentence of Lal, lodged there since 1996, and
release him on the grounds of good conduct and certain other
criteria.

Following the recommendation, the SRB had sent Lal`s plea
to Khanna last year for consideration. The life sentence of
Lal was commuted by the Lt Governor earlier this month, the
sources said.